Device for feeding and controlling the flow of materials



W. ROSS DEv1cE FOR FEEDING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF MATERIALS March 14, 1933.

Filed Jan. 8, 1929 7 WP: f 1 A Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES WIIiLIAM Ross, or sunniroiv, ENGLAND nnvlcnron FEEDING AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW or MATERIALS Ap plication filed January 8, 1929, Serial No. 331,106, in South Afrioai l'anuary l l, 1928 This invention relates to the feeding and controlling of the flow of materials such as coke, coal, stone, sand, ore, or othergranular or pulverulent or like material whether. the same be free running or sticky or reluctant, and whether the material is to be delivered from storage bins or other receptacles or whether-the devices are to be employed for accelerating, retarding or stopping the flow of materials already in motion.

Sofar as relates to the natural flowof materials from the opening of storage bins and the like it will be clear that such flow will vary according to whether the material 151 is small or large or Whether it is mixed and varying in size and also with the shape of the material and upon its running qualities, that is to say, whether it is clean and free- I V "unning or sticky and reluctant. An operator engaged in lifting and lowering a slide gate quired to stop the rapid flow of small material.

motion, such as in an open chute or slide, high velocityof flow may be detrimental in many ways and especially in the case of coal,

coke and like friable materials it would lead to breakage of the material during motion and when brought suddenly to rest at its destination. Moreover, a change or changes of material may on. the other hand decrease the speed so that the material will either overflow the sides of the chute or slide or its flow will be entirely arrested.

The obiect of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient form of feeding and control device which will give auto- 4 matically proper control of the flow of materials under all the above conditions or under other conditions that may be metwith in practice and which will enable the flow opening or outlet of bins to be made of ample dimensions to ensure the passage of material tion.

So far as relates to material already in' material or to the varying conditions under 5 which they are required to work. 1

The invention also consists in a feeding and control device of the abovecharacter in which the chain members are driven from oneendby a plurality of bars carried" upon a rotary member or members.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one convenient mode of carryingout'the inven- Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a sectional elevation and a front elevation of one formof apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a'view illustrating apart of Figure 1 on a somewhat larger scale and Figure 4 is aside sectionalelevation of a part of Figure 3. v c

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of one form of chute in accordance with this invention, and l Figure16 is a front elevation of a modified: form of flexible element in accordance with this invention. In carrying my invention into eflect in one convenient manner as, for example, in its application to the control of the flow of materialfrom a storage bin I arrange for the outlet opening a feeding and control device comprising a plurality of chainsor like flexible members a, the links of which engage with bars 6 or other device by which the chains maybe moved for thefpurpose of controlling the flow of the material. The bars b are carried in end discs 0 mounted upon a shaft (Z which is rotatably mounted in suitterial eventhough the device" and the memhers composing the same be very heavy, this When in operation the device will yield:

readily to give passage to large pieces of mayieldiiig being'due to the fact that the movement of the device is arrested momentarily at the large pieces of material and the chains therefore slacken above that point, the chain link construction of flexible feeding device permitting superficial adjustment of such device as distinguished from the form of feeding, device disclosed in my prior U. S. Patent N 0. 1,651,633whichv although flexible and able to adjust itself to varying conditions is-not capable of independent adjustment throughout its cross section ortransversely. When not in motion, however, there is no such specialyielding capacity in the deviceand thevwhole mass of thedevice therefore operatesto resist the passage of the material and to stop the flow.

. The bars I) are arranged to have suflicient grip of the chains todrive them under ordinary working conditions but should any exceptional condition occur in the chute such as seriously to obstruct the movement of one or more ofthe chains the bars I) .will readily 'slip on such chain or chains and cease to drive them but will continue to drive the as to enable them accurately to fit the chains I arrange for the ends of the bars I) to pass into radial slots formed in the end discs 0,

the position of the bars in such radial slots being adjustable as, for example, by means of adjusting screws 6 or by any other suitable or Well-known means. I

It is sometimes desirable to shut off the flow at the lower end of the chute for a short time while the wagons or skips which are receiving the material are shifted and this may conveniently be effected by means of a slide gate or the like at the lower end of the chute without stopping the feeding device in which case the chains will simply slip on the top of the material in-the chute or the bars I) will slip on the chains.

I may employ a tapering chute, wide at the top end to avoid as much as possible jamming or bridging of the-material at the hopper outlet and narrow at the lower end to fit the crusher or other relatively narrow machine or device to which the material is being fed and in cases where the width at the lower end may be insufficient to accommodate thechains I may vary the lengths of the chain orbitsvso that there will be fewer chain elements at the lower end of the chute than at the upper end.

It is," however, to be understood that the foregoing details of construction are given purely by way of illustration and not of limitation since I may vary the number and mode of disposition of the chain devices, the means adopted for driving the same and the manner of arranging the same in relation to the opening or channel through, or

along which the materialis toflow as well as the means adopted for rotating the feed device either byhand or by power'depending upon. the character of materials to which the invention is to be applied or any practical requirements that may have to be. fulfilled. I Y c Figure 5 illustrates a modified form of chute which may be employed in accordance with theinvention, thebottom of the chute f being provided with apertures g which permit material ofa predetermined size to pass therethrough and also with other.

smaller apertures h which permit the passage of smaller material than a predetermined size. Figure 6 illustrates a modified form of feeding device in accordance with the invention and according to which the chains a are; fastened together at a plurality.

of points 7'. 1

Having now described my invention whatv I claim as new and desireto secure by Let.

ters Patent is v 1. Mechanism for controlling the flow of granular or .pulverulent or like material comprising in combination an inclined chute having apertures therein of varying sizes and formedwith a taper at its lower end, a

rotary member disposed above thechute ad'- j acent its upper end and a flexible mat carried on said rotary member, said flexible mat being composed of a plurality of endless chains united together so as to form a unit which is flexible both longitudinally and transversely and being arranged to bear upon the material on the chute for a substantial portion. of its under surface so as to drag upon the material and so control and feed same. i

2. Mechanism for controlling the flow of material comprising in combination a chute along which the material is adapted to move, a devicerotatably mounted above a portion of the chute, said device having bars extended radially beyond said device and spaced therearound, flexible. chains each having links with rounded ends adapted to pas over said bars with alternate links resting fiatWise upon the bars, the adjacent links on either side of a bar lying in planes at an angle to the bars to locate the rounded ends of adjacent links against the bars whereby the rounded portions of the links may pass over the bars when too much resistance is offered to movement of the chains by the bars.

3. Mechanism according to claim 2 comprising means for adjusting the positions of said hairs radially in respect to the axis about which they rotate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM ROSS. 

